William l



Nrrn STATES ATENT tries.

WVILLIAM L. VALKER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,935, dated March 30, 1897.

Application filed eptember 15, 1896. Serial No. 605,919. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WALKER, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jacks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in jacks, and may be more particularly referred to as wagonjacks, although the invention may be employed in various connections other than that of the ordinary wagon-jack.

The invention aims to construct a jack that may be easily adjusted and retained at any desirable height and obtain an extremely powerful leverage while retaining the jack in a comparatively compact form.

A still further object of my invention is to construct a jack of the above-referred-to class that by reason of this compact form may be easily handled when same is employed, and a wagon-jack that may be carried with the wagon without any inconvenience.

A still further object of the invention is to construct a jack that will be simple in its construction, durable, strong, effectual in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically de scribed and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved jack. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the reverse side of the jack. Fig. 4. is the front view. Fig. 5 is a front view of the lifting post or bar. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the jack.

In the drawings, a represents the casing or box, which may be formed in one piece, of metal or wood, as may be desired. This casing is adapted to receive the lifting post or bar I), which is provided on the two faces with the slots or notches c c and carries afoot-piece d, having an eyelet d, said foot-piece operating in the slot e in the casing. On the front of the casing is secured, by means of staples f, the yoke g, said yoke carrying an operatinglever h, one end of which operates in the slot kin the front of the casing and engages in the notches c c onone face of the lifting post or bar. On the rear of the casing is secured by staples Z Z the pawl m, operating in. the slot 71 and engaging in the notches c c on the opposite face of the lifting post or bar. Said pawl carries a lever-arm 0, extending downward and lying at one side ofthe casing. The movement of this arm and pawl is limited by pins p 19, secured in the side of the casing. On top of the lifting post or bar Z) is provided a plate I), having upwardly-extending flanges to prevent the axle of the wagon from slipping from the bar. On the side of the casing having the slot 6 is pro-. vided a recessed. portion 6, in which is pivotally secured to the casing a hook '6 adapted to fasten in the eyelet d. A hook d is secured to the front of the casing and is adapted to fasten the lever h when the jack is not being used and is fastened in the eyelet d for the purpose of holding the lever out of the way. Rings f are also provided on the front of the casing for the purpose of swinging the jack to the axle of the wagon or in any other suitable place. i

For the purpose of illustration we will assume that the lifting post or bar is in the extreme lower position, as indicated in Fig; 6. The jack is placed under the axle of the wagon or other object that it is desired to lift. The operating-lever h is then placed so as to cause the inner end of the same to engage in the notches c c of the lifting-post. Asthe lever is forced downward it will lift this post or bar, and as each notch has passed the lever-arm 0, which may be weighted, it will cause the pawl to engage on the opposite face of the post from the lever and hold the same until a new grip has been obtained with the lever. When it is desired to lower the lifting-post, the lever 0 is lifted, which will release the pawl from engagement with the notches c c and allow the post to descend.

Vhen it is desired to store the jack, the lever h can be fastened in position by the hook (Z and to prevent danger of the lifting-post sliding out I have provided hooks e on the side of the casing to fasten in the eyelet (Z of the foot-piece d. This construction,however, is not important and may be dispensed with, if desired, as it will be observed that the footpiece is not necessary to the operation of the device, but is provided for the purpose of forcing the liftingpost out or into the casing in event of the same not working smoothly therein.

It will be observed that various changes may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- In a jack, the combination of the casing",

a lifting-bar in said casing, said bar carrying notches on two of its faces, a pawl pivoted to the rear of the casing to engage the notches, said pawl carrying an operating-arm, a lever fulerumed to a yoke attached to the front of the casing, said lever adapted to engage the notches and lift the bar, a plate on top of said bar, a foot-piece operating through a slot in the casing, a hook on the front of the casing to hold the lever, a hook on the side of the casing to engage an eyelet in the foot-piece and lock the bar, said casing carrying rings to suspend the jack, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM L. \VALKER.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. W ILSON, ARNOLD MUELLER. 

